The King of Scavenging, Sagros, Showing His Edge!

He didn't immediately follow. Instead, he waited a moment, confirming that the Dragon Duke and his party showed no signs of turning back before cautiously emerging from the bushes. He then slowly and carefully searched along the edge of the water.

Sagros's speed-enhancing trait was also quietly activated. His steps were light, almost silent, and he remained highly vigilant, ready to conceal himself again at any sign of movement ahead.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Duke ahead seemed to be intentionally quickening his pace. The frequency of his cane tapping the ground increased, his gaze fixed on the bushes by the stream.

Suddenly, he stopped abruptly, lowering his voice. "Careful, on the left!" he exclaimed, simultaneously unleashing a blade of light with his Dragon Staff.

Sensing the energy fluctuation ahead, Chen Chu immediately halted and took cover behind a thick bush, peering forward through the gaps in the leaves.

He saw a green figure flash through the bushes to his front left, moving so fast it almost left an afterimage. Immediately after, a Soul Beast several times larger than an ordinary mantis leaped out from the undergrowth.

Its body was a deep green, with golden patterns along the edges of its wings. Most striking were its scythe-like forelimbs, which glinted with a cold metallic sheen. Two peculiar dragon horns adorned its head. It was unmistakably the Dragon Mantis Chen Chu had been searching for!

This Dragon Mantis's Soul Power fluctuation was extremely strong, at least over four hundred years.

The moment it appeared, it sensed the threat from the Dragon Duke's party. Its forelimbs opened slightly, making a "kaka" sound, as if warning them not to approach.

Meng Yiran's eyes lit up. She immediately channeled her Soul Power, her Snake Staff Martial Soul instantly manifesting. Several blades of light shot out towards the Dragon Mantis. "Watch this!" she declared.

The Dragon Mantis reacted with incredible speed. It flapped its wings, suddenly ascending into the air to evade the light blades. Simultaneously, it dove down, its sharp forelimbs lunging directly at Meng Yiran's face.

"Careful!" the Snake Matriarch cried out. She flashed forward, blocking in front of Meng Yiran. Soul Power surged in her palm, and the staff in her hand intercepted the Dragon Mantis's attack.

With a dull thud, the young Dragon Mantis was sent flying backward, landing on a tree branch. Its wings trembled slightly, clearly still affected by the Snake Matriarch's Soul Power.

The Dragon Duke stood by, not intervening immediately, his gaze fixed on the Dragon Mantis as if deep in thought. "Yiran, these two little ones, don't fight it. Let's go quickly. Old woman, you take Yiran and go first."

He said in a deep voice, his staff glowing faintly green, clearly ready to act.

He knew this Dragon Mantis well. He had been observing whether it was an adult. If it wasn't, its mother might be nearby. If a Ten Thousand Year Dragon Mantis appeared, especially in this dense forest, it would be incredibly troublesome.

Chen Chu, hidden in the shadows, watched the scene unfold. He sighed inwardly. The Dragon Duke's party's coordination was indeed seamless. This four-hundred-year-old Dragon Mantis was no match for them. He wondered if the Dragon Duke would kill it.

He couldn't reveal himself yet. He decided to continue lurking, looking for an opportunity.

Just then, the Dragon Mantis seemed to sense danger. It suddenly flapped its wings and flew in the direction of Chen Chu's hiding spot.

Chen Chu was startled. Just as he was about to conceal himself again, he saw the Dragon Mantis fly directly over his head and escape towards the distant dense forest.

"Trying to run?" the Dragon Duke snorted coldly. His Soul Power erupted, and he instantly turned into an afterimage, pursuing the Dragon Mantis. The Snake Matriarch also took Meng Yiran and headed in the opposite direction. Several figures quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.

After they were long gone, Chen Chu emerged from behind the bush, looking in the direction they had vanished, a slight frown on his face.

The Dragon Duke's party likely wouldn't kill the Dragon Mantis. If he pursued them now, he might be able to find its mother through the young mantis. Then, perhaps...

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to follow. Although he might not encounter a suitable Dragon Mantis, this was currently the most feasible method. The water area offered no trace of high-level Soul Beasts.

He took a deep breath, reactivated his Martial Soul, and transformed into a faint red shadow, chasing after the direction the Dragon Duke's party had disappeared.

The mist in the jungle had thinned considerably. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.

Chen Chu's steps were light and steady, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, ready to face any potential danger.

He passed through a dense thicket of bushes, and the sounds of intense fighting drifted from ahead. Chen Chu immediately slowed his pace, quietly approaching. He hid behind a large tree and peered through the leaves. He saw that the young Dragon Mantis had disappeared. The Dragon Duke was now locked in combat with a colossal Ten Thousand Year Dragon Mantis.

Both of them were injured. The Ten Thousand Year Dragon Mantis's wings were stained with blood, but its movements were still swift. It continued to fight tenaciously, its forelimbs swinging constantly, darting through the dense forest.

The Dragon Duke, holding his staff, unleashed continuous green Soul Power attacks, each strike aimed at the Dragon Mantis's vital points.

"Almost there," the Dragon Duke said in a deep voice. He thrust his staff forward, and a dense stream of green Soul Power shot towards the Dragon Mantis, successfully striking its forelimb and kicking up a cloud of dust.

By the time the Dragon Mantis reacted, the Dragon Duke had vanished.

Seeing this, Chen Chu was overjoyed. The Dragon Duke truly had no interest in it, merely wanting to drive it away.

Both sides had sustained injuries, but the Dragon Duke's were minor, while the mantis was severely wounded. Chen Chu continued to observe its forelimb, estimating its length. His heart swelled with joy.

"Good, this is truly heaven-sent. Approximately fifty thousand years. It's perfect."

His initial expectation was around forty thousand years. After all, with Soul Beasts, an extra ten thousand years meant an increase in strength. At forty thousand years, he should have been able to suppress it with Sagros's dominance. But over fifty thousand years was uncertain. Fifty thousand years was a threshold; even ordinary Soul Douluo might not be able to defeat it.

But now, the Dragon Duke, that old rascal, had severely injured it. If this wasn't heaven-sent, what was?

With this thought, Chen Chu no longer concealed himself. Confirming the Dragon Duke's departure and the absence of others, he charged out.

"First Soul Skill: Divine Speed Assault!" Chen Chu shouted, swinging his fists (which were his Martial Soul's pincers after avatar) as he charged.

His first Soul Skill allowed for instant acceleration, a charging slash, and a high probability of stunning the opponent for 1-2 seconds, providing a significant advantage in seizing the initiative and disrupting the rhythm.

As expected, the Mantis King, having just finished a battle and preparing to tend to its wounds, hadn't noticed Chen Chu lurking in the shadows. It was struck by his punches the moment it took flight, slamming into the ground and kicking up dust.

Seeing that the Mantis King had fully absorbed the effects of his Soul Skill, Chen Chu's lips curled into a smile. Then, his third Soul Ring lit up. After a deep purple glow, several energy slashes imbued with boundless sharpness flew towards the Mantis King's face.